Prehistoric Life SNC210/SW259 (Online Course)
DePaul University -School of Continuing and Professional Studies Prehistoric Life SNC210/SW259 (Online Course) COURSE SYLLABUS Version: Spring 2019 Kevin F. Downing Ph.D. AUTHOR [ © 2014+, All Rights Reserved by the Author. Printed in the U.S.A.] Course Description: Course Description This course promotes students’ investigation of fossils to interpret the character of 3.5 billion years of biological evolution and ecological change on earth. By way of scientific reasoning, mathematical inference, and applicable technologies, emphasis is on the exploration of earliest evidence of life, development of multi-celled plants and animals, dinosaur evolution, mass extinction events, mammal diversification, human origins as well as appraisal of the societal reliance on fossil resources and the persistent debate over evolution versus creation. Learning is assessed through labs, a fieldtrip, a short exam, video summaries, contributions to online discussions, and a research paper in a scientific format. Learning Experience This online course progresses through 10 paleobiology-themed modules that employ a combination of readings (text and scholarly articles) and multimedia resources (archived online videos, Paleontology Society Portal websites, and National Science Digital Library multimedia). Corresponding laboratory exercises and analytical video reviews alternate every other week with laboratory exercises employing fossil specimen kits, online 3D virtual fossils, online paleontology databases (Fossilworks), as well as online simulations of natural selection and the history of life (Bio-alive). Students are required to participate in weekly online discussions that reinforce module concepts and student critical thinking through original contributions and collaborative responses to classmates. Students undertake a structured self-directed fieldtrip to a natural history museum (e.g., Field Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum) or an actual fossil site to conduct an original study centering on a paleontological hypothesis.
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